


Blurred Lines

by TheWolfWithinMe



Category: Primeval
Genre: Even more confused Nick, M/M, Slow Burn, confused Connor, feelings are hard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-28
Updated: 2019-10-28
Packaged: 2021-01-05 16:44:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21211805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheWolfWithinMe/pseuds/TheWolfWithinMe
Summary: Connor wanted Abby, right? Right?Then why was the Universe pulling him towards Nick Cutter?Meanwhile Nick is struggling to choose between what is moral... and what his heart wants.





	Blurred Lines

**Author's Note:**

> I think this fandom and ship is mostly dead but I’m still gonna write it, because I love them :’)

It was a cold, clear night. Stars twinkled in the inky blackness above Connor’s head—constant, never changing. Not in his lifetime, anyway. He should find some comfort in that thought, especially with the nature of his work, but his mind’s currently preoccupied. 

Because right now, he’s standing on Nick Cutter’s doorstep. 

The wooden barrier between him and his ex-professor was an easy obstacle to overcome. All he had to do was knock.

His fingers curl into a fist. A shaky breath escapes. It comes out as a puff of smoke, quickly getting whipped away by a soft breeze.

Just knock, Connor, god dammit...

He was cold, bordering on freezing, and yet that was still preferable to actually knocking and making his presence known. What if Cutter turned him away? Told him to mind his own business?

Stephen was a friend to both of them, wasn’t he? Nick had to realise that, surely? But grief worked in weird ways, Connor knew that, it made people shut themselves off and suffer alone. He was the same when Tom died.

Connor swallowed, a lump forming in his throat. His fist was inches away from the door, poised in position, but all bravery had long since left him.

Dinosaurs, giant centipedes, weird walrus things, he could deal with all of that. Facing Nick Cutter? Not so much.

Luckily — or unluckily — for him, his phone rang. It vibrated impatiently through his jeans and he struggled to fish it out; cold fingers making the process so much harder. 

Of course it had to be Nick.

“Hello?” Connor said apprehensively, aiming for a casual tone. 

“Connor...” Nick’s voice was tired. “There’s been a new anomaly, I need you—“ The line went screwy for a moment, leaving Connor’s mind to wander to foreign places. “I need you to meet me at the ARC.” He finished finally. “Where are you?”

“Uh... well...”

“Connor?”

“I’m outside.” 

“Outside the ARC?”

Connor could have just said ‘yes’ then ran like fuck back, but the cold must have shut off the sensible part of his brain, because he found himself saying—

“No. I’m, uh, outside your house.”

“Connor, what the fuck...”

Nick hung up the phone, leaving Connor stood in the dark for a few seconds before the door was wrenched open, bathing him in a warm glow. And oh god, heat! The Professor’s expression was unreadable. He just stood there silently, the anomaly momentarily forgotten about.

Connor stared back, his dark gaze roaming over and inspecting Nick’s appearance. The older man looked like shit, but what did he expect? Sunshine and smiles? 

“Hey.” He said eventually, needing to break the silent staring contest. 

“What are you doing here, Connor?” Nick leaned against the doorframe, arms folded. He was frowning now. 

“I, um, just wanted to see you. See how you’re coping.” He corrected quickly. Rubbing his hands together in an attempt to warm them, he could see the answer as clear as day.

“I’m fine.” Cutter replied firmly, grabbing his coat and stepping outside. “Come on, we’ve got work to do.”

xxx

At least Nick’s truck was warm, Connor thought, his fingers twisting the dial up to high. Heat blasted out of the vents and hit him in the face, making him sigh in content. 

This was nice. Exactly what he needed. 

Cutter watched him from the corner of his eye. “How long were you stood outside for?” 

Connor had his eyes closed. “Oh you know, just a minute... or thirty.”

“What? Are you kidding me?”

Sensing movement beside him, Connor cracked open one eye. Just in time to see Nick dragging a hand down his face. 

“Why didn’t you just /knock/?” He asked, baffled. 

“I was scared.” Connor mumbled, his voice unnaturally quiet. 

“Of /me/?” Nick was no longer focusing on the road; his confused eyes now fully on Connor. 

“No, no, not you. Your, uh, reaction.” He chewed on the inside of his cheek. “Professor, please watch the road.”

And Cutter did, a string of curses leaving his lips as he swerved away from a lamppost. The front bumper screeched as it scratched along the curb; metal mixing with concrete. But then the truck straightened itself and they were driving along normally again; Connor gripping onto his seat for dear life.

“Shit.” Nick muttered, “sorry about that.”

“It’s... it’s fine.” His heart was beating madly against his chest, but other than that, he was okay. 

“So, back to our conversation...” Cutter began, stubbornly pretending that he didn’t nearly kill them both. “Why were you scared of my reaction?”

Connor hesitated. Voicing his concerns would make him sound stupid. Pathetic. He turned to face out of the window, watching absentmindedly as familiar landmarks whizzed by. 

“Connor...” 

Dammit. That Scottish accent always got to him, made him feel things. Things that were immoral and wrong. 

Connor squirmed in his seat, suddenly tempted to rip open the door and throw himself out. “I thought you’d tell me to fuck off.” He mumbled very, very quietly.

“Oh.”

Oh, oh? What did Oh mean?

“Connor, I would n e v e r tell you to fuck off. Never.” Cutter’s voice was soft, gentle, and warm. “I’m sorry if I ever gave you that impression...”

And now Connor felt stupid for a different reason.

xxx

They reached the ARC, grabbed Abby and an array of weapons (both tranquillisers and actual guns), and were on the road again.

The mood in the truck was an awkward one. With Abby around, neither Connor nor Nick spoke about earlier events. Instead, Connor stared intensely at the anomaly detector in his hands — which Abby had given him moments ago — and Cutter was watching the road. 

It felt empty without Stephen there. No one said it aloud, but they were all thinking the same thing. 

“How much further?” Nick asked suddenly. As he drove he studied the sky. Nothing out of the ordinary yet.

“Uh, two more miles.” The detector flashed once, then promptly died. A black screen now staring back at Connor. “Shit!”

“What?!” Abby and Nick said in unison.

“The detector has died.” He smacked it with the palm of his hand and when that didn’t work, gave the thing a shake. 

“Guess we’ll have to resort to plan b.” Abby said with a sigh, pulling out a gun and getting it ready. “Look for people screaming.”

xxx

Unfortunately, no one was screaming. In fact, no one was there at all. The street was entirely deserted, aside from the anomaly at one end. It’s twinkling shards were as beautiful as ever but Connor knew it held death and danger behind the veil.

But where was it? And where was everyone?

“I don’t like this,” He muttered, peering around. Nick looked equally uneasy. 

And then, out of nowhere, came a kid. The boy, aged at eleven or so, ran across the street. His foot barely made it to the other side when something shot out of the anomaly—something huge, black and with too many legs—and grabbed the kid, quickly injecting him with some sort of venom before the boy could even scream.

Then, with its prize in tow, it retreated back into the anomaly. Leaving the street as deserted as before. 

“Okay,” Connor said after a while, “am I seeing things or was that the biggest freaking spider ever?”


End file.
